Bendel Insurance vs El Kanemi: How Deputy Governor, Phillip Shaibu, Faith Irabor standstill in honour of Robert Akpenpuun

 

Chairman of the Chairmen of Benue State football council, Robert Akpenpuun was on over the weekend ceremonially " honoured" by Edo State government, and  Former Bendel Insurance striker now Deputy Governor, Comrade Phillip Shaibu for his consistent "moral uprightness" in the Nigeria football industry as he commissioned his last NPFL fixture before proceeding on Diplomatic journey, anytime soon. 

It was indeed a memorable day for the chairman of Vandeikya football council, Robert Akpenpuun seeing the new Head of  Nigeria Referees Appointment Committee of NFF, Faith Irabor  who equally joined the Sports- loving Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu as a mark of respect while 

players of both teams, Bendel Insurance and El Kanemi Warriors created an atmosphere best described as " Military Guard of Honour" to celebrate the highly "valor" Benue State football administrator,  Akpenpuun whilst passing through the aisle. 

Comrade Phillip Shaibu and Faith Iraboh in their remarks, spoke glowingly of the seasoned Match Commissioner, Robert Terlumun Akpenpuun publicly;

" I have known Robert Akpenpuun for years and he has always demonstrated uncompromising attitude whenever his duty calls in this industry. He is very diligent, focused, and ever ready  to give his best as a football administrator; and I am using this opportunity to bid him farewell on his journey out of Nigeria as a career diplomat. " Shaibu remarked with verve

Meanwhile, according to Faith Irabor;

" Robert Akpenpuun is not just one of the rare personalities with good track records in our football system but a brother, who exude qualities of a good leader; one of the major reasons he is wearing different caps aside from being a responsible 

Commissioner. When I got the hints about his promotion, I was very elated knowing that, it is a genuine sign of hard work and Grace; because he is moving on with his career paths and I believe the sky would be the starting point for him." Irabor enthused

Robert Akpenpuun as a senior figure amongst the Nigeria football federation (NFF) Protocol committee members had seamlessly ushered in major Drivers of football globally into the country, ie; FIFA President, Giovanni Vincenzo "Gianni" Infantino,

, Former CAF president, Ahmad Ahmad and Atletico Madrid Head Coach, Diego Simone amongst other international personalities in the football circle. He is also highly ranked with ( Star badges) as a staff of Nigerian Immigration Service.

Countdown to Access Bank Lagos City Marathon: Shaibu to run alongside Sanwo-Olu in February

 

The sports-loving Deputy-Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu will add to his huge sports resume on February 12, 2022.

He will be joining the Governor of Lagos State and host of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Babajide Sanwo-Olu to participate in the 2022 edition.

Speaking while signing the entry form over the weekend Shaibu said he has been a distance admirer of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

“I congratulate the good people of Lagos State, especially the Executive Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for putting together the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, the biggest one-day sports event in Africa and one of the top ten marathons in the world in terms of prize money and participants. 

“Having participated in the highly competitive Okpekpe 10km Road Race on a tough terrain because it is hilly, it will be a great joy to experience the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon alongside my brother Governor Sanwo-Olu. It will be fun to run in Lagos because the course is flat”. 

An avid golfer, Shaibu is also a passionate footballer. He etched his name in sports history when he led the Team Edo football team to win the male football gold medal at the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin.

In the match, Edo bounced back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Lagos team 3-2 in the final at the main bowl of the University of Benin Stadium Complex.

Apart from organizing the best NSF ever despite the challenge of Covid-19, Shaibu the man in charge of sports in Edo State is leaving a legacy of giving Edo State world-class sports facilities and equipment including building the best gymnasium in Africa.

Yussuf Alli General Manager Access Bank Lagos City Marathon urges politicians and celebrities to emulate Shaibu, “being active in sports cure many illness and diseases. Our leaders and celebrities that the masses emulate should join Shaibu by embracing sports culture. This will translate mass participation in sports leading to a healthier workforce and less spending on healthcare by the government”.

Great Organization, Magnificent Facility; Alexander Otasowie Praises Gymnastics Federation, Philip Shaibu

 

As part of its manifesto in repositioning Nigeria Gymnastics sphere, the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria under the leadership of Prince Kelvin Erhunwmunse is currently on Day 5 of its week training, exposure of athletes, coaches and judges of the game as well as Gymnastics camp for West Africa countries ongoing at the ultra-modern gymnastics gym of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City of Edo State.

The week-long camp, the first of its kind in West Africa, has seen the presence of FYG experts from Egypt train coaches, judges and technical instructors from about seven countries in Africa.

Amongst participants at the week-long camp is a former gymnast and an administrator, Alexander Otasowie who couldn't hide but registers his excitement on this landmark.

"I started gymnastics from this State and I'm happy to be here not just for the fact that I'm a gymnast, but for the fact that my state is pioneering this for the country and this is something I take pleasure in."

"I also want to thank the president of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria who since he came on board as president has changed things. Himself being a gymnast is aiming to improve coaches, athletes and judges in the just concluded Level 1 course, a move to have a proper database to push the entire Gymnastics Federation forward."

"Nobody has ever believed this can happen in Nigeria, even the west African countries are amazed at what they have seen."

The excited Otasowie however heap praises on the Edo state government for putting in place the world-class gymnastics suspended gym.

"For the facility, this is the best we have in central West Africa and one of the best in another part of Africa. I'm a member of the UOG, the highest body for Africa and Edo state is pulling the whole of Africa and the whole world is monitoring. I'm amazed that this is happening in Nigeria."

"Now we are having this for the first time, bringing together the entire zone in West Africa. A big appreciation to the Government-Governor Obaseki and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu for putting in place this structure to help raise more gymnasts who train with modern facilities."

"More completions, more games would be coming and now that the international bodies have seen it, it's a clear indication that we can stage as many competitions here."

"The very recent commissioning we had in the world was in Germany, 2019, this is exactly what's there-suspended gymnastics gym-which look impossible, which means that way happened in Germany is happening here. Not only Edo is benefiting from this or the whole country, but West Africa is also benefiting from it and Africa is happy to showcase this as one of the best they have."

"For Edo state, it's good and as a federation, we can see that it's one of the best and we are happy to have the best. This is the best place you can have the national team train, no other place in Nigeria has this facility," Otasowie added.

Shaibu is an excellent choice for Sports Personality of the Year - Yussuf Alli

 

 

The General Manager Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Yussuf Alli on Monday described the award of the Sports Personality of the Year (2020) bestowed on Comrade Philip Shaibu, the Edo State Deputy Governor by The Sun Newspapers as a perfect fit.

 The Sun Newspaper on Saturday named Shaibu as the Sports Personality of 2020.

“It is a perfect fit. In the last five years, Shaibu’s contributions to sports at the local, state, national and international levels has been huge, the award is a perfect recognition for a man who worked with sports-loving Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to reposition sports in Edo state and Nigeria.’’

Alli posits that today Shaibu is more synonymous with sports than activism, “he is not just a sports administrator par excellence, he is also a participant, he is the first governor or deputy governor to register and play in the Nigeria Football League. He is also first major political office holder to win a football gold medal at the National Sports Festival, after leading Team Edo to a 3-2 win over Team Lagos in the final of the men’s football event at the festival.”

Alli said supporters of Edo Insurance Football Club of Benin will remain grateful to him for the role in reviving the club while players and staff of  Edo Queens will not forget that he ensured they earn equal salaries and allowances with their male counterparts, the players of Edo Insurance FC”.

 Alli recalled that as head of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival hosted by Edo state, Shaibu did an excellent job,

“ With the support of his Governor, Shaibu worked tirelessly to ensure that Edo put world-class sports facilities and equipment in place, the organization was seamless despite enormous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.’’

The General Manager of Access Bank Lagos City Marathon also recalled the contribution of Shaibu to the meteoric rise of sprint sensation Enoch Adegoke cumulating in his making the final of the men's 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“At a stage in his career when few believed in Adegoke, Shaibu invested his time and money in the sprinter, the result was his specular showing in Tokyo where he became the first Nigerian to make the Olympics 100m final in 25 years”.

Alli also commended the management of The Sun Newspapers for giving honour to whom it is due.

Ratels Sports Development Foundation to honour Arotile, Ukaigwe, Mabo, Jegede, Kujebola, others

 

Names of Awardees for the Ratels Sports Development Foundation Heroes Awards 2021 have been revealed during Flying Officers Cup draw ceremony held in Abuja on Thursday. 

The award Committee headed by Moses Nagogo Bako followed a set of eligibility criteria which considers factors such as achievements and pedigree of the nominees.

The prestigious award is conferred to those personalities who have rendered outstanding meritorious services to the development of sports and women’s football in the country and beyond.

The award comes in two categories of Special Posthumous Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Four people were remembered and honoured in the Posthumous Awards category:

Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile: The first-ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigeria Air Force. She contributed significantly to combat operations against insecurity in the northern states of Nigeria. Arotile died from a head injury sustained in an accident at the Nigerian Air Force base.

Henrietta Ukaigwe: She was a veteran sports journalist cum women’s football promoter. Started FFIG – Female Football Interest Group comprising individuals, who actively promoted and energetically projected the women’s game and made it an item of consequence in the media and public space across the nation from the nineties. This group did not only report the game; it coalesced efforts and resources to organize women’s football tournaments and provided much-needed stout and meaningful support to administrators at that incipient stage.

Chief Larry Eze: Pioneer of women’s football in Nigeria and the Proprietor of defunct Larry Angels, It should be noted that Larry Angels and the likes of Rivers Mermaids metamorphosed to Rivers Angels in the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership.

Chief Sunny Eghaghe Inneh: Pioneer of women’s football in Nigeria and the Proprietor of defunct Inneh Babes. Inneh babes metamorphosed to Edo Queens in the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership

Lifetime Achievement Awards:

Chioma Ajunwa: Former athlete, notable for being the first Nigerian to win gold at 1996 summer Olympics. The first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. She remains only woman to compete at the FIFA world cup both  as a footballer and the Olympics as a track and field athlete.

She is now an assistant commissioner of Police.

Princesses Bola Jegede: Pioneer of women’s football in Nigeria played a pivotal role in Organizing the first women Inter-club competition in Nigeria in 1990. The establishment of her female football Club, Jegede Babes in the late 1980s culminated in the establishment of other female football Clubs in the country producing players for the nascent Super Falcons squad to the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991.

Ismaila Mabo: He was the head coach of the Nigeria women’s national team at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2000 Summer Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics. He led Nigeria to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, the team’s best ever result

Eddington Kujebola: Pioneer of women’s football in Nigeria and the Proprietor of defunct Ufuoma Babes of warri. Notable players for Ufuoma Babes were Florence Omagbemi, Mavis Ogun, Patience Avre, Uche Eucharia, Mercy Akide, Omo Love Branch, Nkiru Okieseme, Florence Iweta, Phoebe Ebimienkumo, etc.

Alhaja Ayo Omidiran: Pioneer of women’s football in Nigeria and the Proprietor of Omidiran babes, which left the football scene but are now back. She became a member of the Nigerian Football Association Board and remained there till 2005. Since 2006, she has been a member of the FIFA Women Committee.

Other Awards Include:

Heroic Icon Of The Year: Leah Shuiabu.

Women Football Promoter of the year: Phillip Shuiabu.

Women Football Grassroots Icon of the year: Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi.

Women Football Trailblazer of the year: Aisha Falode.

Sports firm to honour Gov. Bello, Philip Shaibu at Football Legendary Sports Award event

 By Aturu Bishop

Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria will this weekend take the center stage as the Nigeria Football Legendary Sports Award organized by Success Tiyu Int’l in conjunction with the Kogi State Football Association will honour personalities of note that have made their marks in the Sporting arena.

The ceremony which is scheduled to hold on Saturday, July 24th, 2021 at the Green Minds Hotel Utako Abuja is expected to be graced by sports icons, sports administrators, Ex-football players and friends of the game.

In a chat with Sports journalists in Lokoja on Thursday, the organizer of the award, Abubakar Musa, an ex-footballer,  noted that the ceremony would be the first of its kind in the history of sports activities in the country.  

According to him, the event will be honouring His Excellencies,  Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi,  and the Edo state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu for their youth friendliness and contributions to the growth of sports in the country. 

He added that Gov Yahaya Bello has been nominated to be honoured as the “Youth trend setter of the century”. 

This he disclosed was due to his youth friendliness and as a fore runner of Nigeria youths in the forth coming 2023 presidential election; knowing quite true that sports is associated with youthfulness.

Musa further added that the Deputy Governor of Edo state will be honoured as the best sporting deputy governor Nigeria 2021. 

The event he stressed, will also embrace other awards to those that have distinguished themselves at one international tournament or the other like the 1983 Flying Eagles set that first qualified Nigeria for a FIFA organised tournament.

While calling for partnership from relevant sports stakeholders in the country and the world at large, Musa stressed that the event will commence at 10am.